1. Technical Field
One or more embodiments of the present application relate to a system and method for displaying instantaneous fuel economy, average fuel economy, and fuel tank level using an information display within a vehicle.
2. Background Art
Vehicles, whether passenger or commercial, include a number of gauges, indicators, and various other displays to provide the vehicle operator with information regarding the vehicle and its surroundings. With the advent of new technologies, such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), has come a variety of new gauges and information displays that help operators to better learn the operation of these vehicles that utilize new technology. For example, many HEVs incorporate gauges that attempt to provide the operator with information on the various hybrid driving states. These gauges indicate to the operator when the vehicle is being propelled by the engine alone, the motor alone, or a combination of the two. Similarly, a display may indicate when the motor is operating as a generator, and is recharging an energy storage device, such as a battery.
With regard to HEVs, it is known that some drivers may not be able to achieve desired fuel economy numbers, in part because of driving habits. In many cases, drivers are willing to modify their behavior, but are unable to translate recommended techniques into real changes in their driving habits. Moreover, gauges or displays that merely indicate a general fuel tank level and unassociated fuel economy readings provide little insight for the driver on current or recent driving efficiencies in order to modify driving habits to improve fuel economy.
Therefore, a need exists for an information display system for a vehicle, and a method for displaying such information, that provides information that will help a driver increase fuel economy by indicating a relationship between units of fuel remaining in a fuel tank, instantaneous fuel economy, and/or average fuel tank economy values within a multifunctional display gauge, thereby facilitating economical driving choices by a driver.